New Delhi:
Even because the collection of a web site of a memorial for former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, which sparked an enormous political slugfest, is underway, the Union authorities has determined to construct one for his former Congress colleague and ex-President Pranab Mukherjee.
Taking to X on Tuesday, Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of Mr Mukherjee, who was the President of India between 2012 and 2017 and died in 2020, mentioned she had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thanked him for the federal government’s resolution to assemble a memorial for her father. Sharing a duplicate of a letter stating that the memorial can be erected throughout the ‘Rashtriya Smriti Sthal’ – the designated memorial advanced for Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Prime Ministers – in Rajghat, Ms Mukherjee mentioned the household will cherish the choice extra as a result of it didn’t ask for the memorial to be constructed.
“Called on Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji to precise thanks & gratitude from core of my coronary heart 4 his govts’ resolution 2 create a memorial 4 baba. It’s extra cherished contemplating that we did not ask for it. Immensely touched by this surprising however really gracious gesture by PM,” Ms Mukherjee, who can also be a former Congress chief, wrote.
Called on Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji to precise thanks & gratitude from core of my coronary heart 4 his govts’ resolution 2 create a memorial 4 baba. It’s extra cherished contemplating that we did not ask for it. Immensely touched by this surprising however really gracious gesture by PM🙏 1/2 pic.twitter.com/IRHON7r5Tk
— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) January 7, 2025
“Baba used to say that State honours should not be requested for, it ought to be provided. I’m so grateful that PM Modi did this to honour babas’ reminiscence. It doesnt have an effect on baba the place he’s now- past applaud or criticism. But for his daughter, phrases usually are not adequate to precise my pleasure (sic),” she added.
After former PM Manmohan Singh died on December 26 and his funeral was deliberate on the Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had written to PM Modi and requested for Dr Singh’s final rites to be held at a web site the place his memorial might be constructed.
Congress chief Jairam Ramesh had additionally hit out on the Centre and mentioned folks have been unable to grasp why the federal government couldn’t discover a appropriate location for the previous PM’s cremation and memorial.
“This is nothing however a deliberate insult to the primary Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh,” Mr Ramesh had mentioned.
Hitting again, the BJP had mentioned it was ironic that the Congress was reminding the federal government about traditions however had by no means constructed a memorial for former PM Narasimha Rao.
“The Congress by no means constructed a memorial for him within the 10 years they have been in energy from 2004-2014. It was solely PM Modi ji in 2015 who instituted a memorial for Narasimha Rao ji and honoured him posthumously in 2024 with the Bharat Ratna,” BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan had mentioned.
Earlier Comment
Wading into the talk, Ms Mukherjee had mentioned that when her father had died in 2020, the Congress had not known as a gathering of the Congress Working Committee, the best decision-making physique of the get together, and advised she had been misled.
“When baba handed away, Congress didnt even hassle 2 name CWC 4 condolence assembly. A senior chief instructed me it isn’t executed 4 Presidents. Thats utter garbage as I realized later from baba’s diaries that on KR Narayanan’s loss of life, CWC was known as & condolence msg was drafted by baba solely (sic),” she wrote on X.
As the row escalated, the Home Ministry mentioned an acceptable memorial web site could be chosen for Dr Singh. Sources had mentioned final week that the method of figuring out a web site, together with the ‘Rashtriya Smriti Sthal’, for the previous PM has begun and the federal government is in contact along with his household.